Overview
- Bangkok’s criminal court dismissed the lese‑majesté case against Thaksin Shinawatra, with his lawyer saying judges found the evidence insufficient for conviction on charges that carried up to 15 years in prison.
- UPI reported the court also threw out a related Computer Crime Act charge, noting acquittals in lèse‑majesté cases are uncommon compared with conviction rates.
- Thaksin still faces a separate Supreme Court review in September on whether his 2023 hospital detention counted as time served, a ruling that could see him returned to prison if deemed noncompliant.
- Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra remains suspended ahead of an Aug. 29 Constitutional Court ruling on an ethics case tied to a leaked call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen before deadly border clashes that killed more than 40 people and displaced about 300,000.
- Paetongtarn testified this week under a court-ordered reporting ban on her remarks, as her Pheu Thai-led coalition wobbles in polls and analysts warn adverse rulings could hasten an early election; rights groups say more than 280 people have faced Section 112 prosecutions in five years.